


Ice Ice Snakey

by sparrowofsong



Series: What a Nightmare! Concept Fics/Oneshots [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Physical Abuse, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, there's a 'virgil' in here but like it's not the real one so idk there's that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28358340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrowofsong/pseuds/sparrowofsong
Summary: After being forgotten and locked away in his empty room for as long as he can remember, Janus has been getting rather cold. His captors decide to lend him a Virgil-shaped hand.
Series: What a Nightmare! Concept Fics/Oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981045
Kudos: 14





	Ice Ice Snakey

**Author's Note:**

> this might count as spoilers for the story it's from (What a Nightmare!), but it's not like I'm making legit content for it anyway, so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ take one of the concept fics that's sitting been in my files for months

Janus holds himself tightly as he curls up on the floor, shivering like a leaf in a tornado. All he has to warm him are the ragged remains of his outfit and his own body heat. Thanks to half of his blood being cold, and all of his blood lacking adequate energy, the latter doesn't do him any good, which renders the former useless.

His extremities are numb and blue, he can barely keep his eyes open, but he can't pass out. He's stuck between consciousness and unconsciousness, unable to fully enter either state, thanks to them.

"Deceit!"

Speak of the devils.

"W-what-- do- do you want-- now?"

As the illusion of Virgil approaches, Janus tries his best to put any amount of bite behind his words. He still can't let himself give in. Not fully. Not now. Not ever. He's self-preservation for crying out loud, and if he can't protect his body, he needs to protect his spirit with everything he's got left.

He just wishes he had more left.

"Well, you seem cold. " Not-Virgil sits down a small distance away from him. "I wanted to help you out."

"You-- made i-it-- cold."

"Do you want help or not?"

Janus shuts his eyes for a few seconds, considering it. It's a trick, obviously. He knows that, and they know he knows. But he's already been cornered; he has no choice but truthfully answer the question, and that's all it'll take for the game to begin. 

"...I-- I do."

"What's the magic word~?"

Janus grits his teeth. Fuckers. 

"Please."

"There you go! See, it wasn't so hard to be... well, slightly less awful than usual, was it?" Not-Virgil briefly waits for an answer Janus doesn't want to give, then narrows its eyes. "Answer the question, Deceit."

"No. It. Wasn't," Janus spits out. 

"That's what I thought. I'm not going to help you if you're going to be lazy about it, though. You have to come here."

Janus can't help but chuckle to himself. That's how bad it's gotten? That he's willing to exert all his remaining energy to crawl toward the ones who took it in the first place? And for what, an empty offer of escape from the cold  _ they _ caused? No, no, it isn't even an offer, is it? It's an  _ order _ . It doesn't matter whether or not he's willing.

But maybe... maybe it won't be completely empty. Maybe he'll get a second or two before the inevitable torment that'll follow. 

He just wants a second.

It takes longer than he'd like to cover that distance, and he's painfully aware that every second is more lost time that can be used against him. Eventually, though, he reaches Not-Virgil, and it ruffles his hair with a warm hand.

_ warm warm warm need warm need need warm need _

Any remaining stubbornness having temporarily melted away, Janus leans into the touch desperately, foregoing holding himself up in favor of clinging to the source of warmth and falling onto his side in the process. Not-Virgil pulls its hand away and smirks at the devastated look on his face. "If you want more, I can hold you."

Now that he's gotten a taste of it, all Janus can think about is that overwhelming warmth, already finding himself straining to get closer to Not-Virgil. He needs it. He'll do anything for it. He doesn't even bother to think about it before nodding fervently.

"Use your words."

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Please. Please. Please. Please." 

"You're almost getting adequate. I'd be impressed if it was anyone but you." 

Almost adequate. Almost. So close. What he wouldn't give to just be  _ adequate _ _._ Maybe he'll get more warmth if he can just--

No. They'll  _ never  _ see him as "adequate", much less give him anything for it without strings attached. The notion is  _ literally impossible. _ Yet, despite that knowledge, he's finding himself more and more desperate for their approval these days. For  _ any _ approval, really. His facade has been giving way to this desperation before he ever reaches the point of fear. He's losing his grip. 

But even if it's a game, even if it'll all be gone soon... he's still getting warmth, and he's getting the closest thing to approval he's ever going to get again. Between that and pride, which one holds any real weight when he's going to be alone for all of eternity? He honestly ( ~~ hah ~~ ) can't tell anymore. 

He's self preservation. If he can't protect his body, he needs to protect his spirit with everything he's got left.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have much left.

"...Thanks."

"But of course." It picks him up and holds him in its lap bridal-style. There are a few moments of pure terror at the action, but those are soon pushed away by--

_ warm warm need need warm need warm warm warm warm need need warm warm warm warm _

Already on the verge of tears, Janus clings to the illusion's shirt and presses his face into its chest. Being so close to it is sickening, it's horrible, and the more he stays so close, the worse it feels. But there's nothing he can bring himself to do but continue to cherish this while it lasts. Nothing else can hold his attention. Not even a voice speaking words he doesn't remember to listen to.

Out of the blue and all too soon, the warmth is gone, that factor of its form having been negated. Janus can already feel the biting cold settling back in, and he whimpers, looking up at Not-Virgil tearfully. It curls up its lip. "I'm not going to reward you for ignoring me."

"Ah-- did-- did you say something? I didn't... I'm so sorry, I--"

"Would you shut up and let me talk?" It grabs his shoulder tightly, its too-sharp fingers once again piercing nearly clean through. Janus coughs down his words as he pours all of his focus into not crying out in pain. "You know what? No. I'm not going to repeat myself. If you don't care enough to listen, then I don't care about being nice to you."

Not-Virgil stands up and dumps a sobbing Janus on the cold, hard ground. As it begins to step away, Janus frantically clings to its ankle, the cold loosening his tongue. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, please come back, please give me an-another chance. I'll do better this time, I will, I will, I promise."

"You're... asking me to come back?" It raises an eyebrow.

Janus's eyes widen at the realization. Oh, god. He is, isn't he? He has to stop. He's  _ self preservation _ _._ If he can't protect his body, he  _ needs  _ to protect his spirit with everything he's got left.

He can't let them take what he has left.

His hesitation is enough for them to get impatient, and Not-Virgil stomps on his hand. "Fucking answer me!"

Janus clutches his hand and forces himself to put up a fight again.  _ "No!"  _

_ "Don't lie!" _ It kicks him in the throat, and he starts hacking.

"Yes--!" He chokes out, cursing himself for slipping so quickly. "I-- I was!"

"So you admit you're better off with us, then?"

No. No. No. No!

He takes some rapid deep breaths, willing every fiber in his being to keep from falling prey to his fear. He won't allow himself to be broken by them. Not fully. Not now. Not  _ ever _ . "A-absolutely  _ not _ _._ I-- don't need your-- your help with sss-s-something you did, unless-- you're undoing it! T-that's not the same!"

"Fine. If you're going to be  _ ungrateful  _ about it, then I guess I won't bother being nice to you. In fact..." Not-Virgil lifts Janus by the neck with an icy hand, gradually getting colder, and colder, and colder. It doesn't take long before Janus can feel his own skin start to freeze and harden. "If you insist that I should be causing the cold, I'll be happy to oblige."

**Author's Note:**

> can you tell I was cold when I wrote this dkfgjhdsakj


End file.
